You’ve built your construction business from the ground up, and it’s grown wonderfully. But as your company grew, you realized that managing all the day-to-day details—like keeping track of clients, scheduling jobs, sending invoices and more—is becoming a full-time job in itself.

It’s time to ease out from under the burden of admin tasks and return to focusing on what you do best. You need a good construction CRM to help you get organized and spend less time on invoicing and scheduling, so you can win more bids and create more happy customers.

In this article, we’ll walk you through the ways that construction CRM software like vcita can transform the way you run your business, so you can get back to focusing on what really matters: building.

What is a construction CRM?

A construction CRM, or client relationship management software, just means a CRM that’s designed specifically for construction companies. Like every CRM, it’s built to organize all your important client and project details in one place and help you streamline business operations, but this one is created with construction business owners in mind.

Here are some of the tasks a top construction CRM can take on for you:

Store customer information

With a construction CRM like vcita, you can record contact details, communication history, documents, and notes for each of your clients and leads. The CRM keeps all this information in one spot, so it’s easy to find. This way, you can provide personalized, seamless customer service that convinces every customer that you remember their every preference and pet peeve.

Manage your sales pipeline

A good construction CRM will help you keep track of potential new clients and where they are in your sales process. You can log calls, meetings, proposals sent and more, and automate follow-up messaging to make sure no lead slips through the cracks.

Schedule and dispatch teams

Online scheduling, booking, and work order management tools help you optimize your team’s time. This allows customers to schedule appointments round the clock, automatically assigns jobs to the relevant technicians, dispatches teams to the right location, and tracks updates on job status.

Reporting and analytics

Reports and dashboards deliver insights into key performance indicators like sales volume, customer retention, job profitability and beyond. With these analytics, you can track and forecast cash flow more effectively, prioritize the most valuable services and customers, and make data-driven decisions to improve your business.

The benefits of using a construction CRM software

  • Automate and simplify operations. A CRM organizes all your contacts, schedules, invoices, and more in one place. Stop juggling multiple spreadsheets, and handle scheduling, invoicing, and project management more efficiently.
  • Convert more customers. A CRM makes it easy to track leads from first contact through close, delivering a complete view of your sales pipeline. vcita’s CRM allows you to log calls, schedule follow-ups, and update lead info quickly.
  • More satisfied customers. A good CRM will maintain a comprehensive profile of each client, together with their project history, communication preferences, and more. This data enables you to personalize your service and increase customer satisfaction.
  • Smoother collaboration. Share contacts, schedules, documents, and other information with your team in a single secure location to reduce confusion and stop jobs falling between the cracks.
  • Better customer experience. A modern CRM with a client portal allows clients to pay invoices, schedule visits, review project updates, and contact you easily online. vcita’s client portal is a great way to provide five-star customer service and build lasting relationships.

4 must-have features in a construction CRM

  • Project management tools

Overseeing multiple projects at once is par for the course for a construction business owner. You need robust project management tools to keep everything on track and make sure that nothing goes overlooked. Look for features like:

  • Task lists to assign work to employees
  • Calendars to schedule deadlines, meetings, and milestones
  • Gantt charts to visualize project timelines
  • Alerts and notifications about upcoming deadlines

  • Customer history management

Building a loyal customer base is key to success in any business. Your construction CRM should store details about your customers and their projects, so you can provide personalized and timely service. Make sure your CRM can:

  • Automatically update contact information for all customers
  • Keep records of past projects, including budgets, timelines, and deliverables
  • Track communications like phone calls, emails, and in-person meetings
  • Monitor customer satisfaction and gather feedback for future reference

  • Detailed tracking

From budgets and expenses to materials and employee hours, there are many details to monitor for each construction project. A good construction CRM allows you to:

  • Create project budgets and compare actual costs
  • Log materials, equipment, and inventory
  • Record employee hours and job assignments
  • Generate insightful reports to optimize future projects

  • Integrations

Look for a construction CRM that integrates with the other software you use, like accounting tools, project management, and billing systems. Integrations make it easy to pass data between platforms, reduce duplicate data entry, and lower the risk of manual errors creeping in.

Why vcita is the best construction CRM

As a small construction business owner, you need software that can keep up with the demands of your industry. vcita is designed specifically for construction businesses, with all the tools you need to streamline operations, engage clients, and grow your company.

vcita offers an efficient scheduling and booking solution that removes fuss and confusion from your busy construction calendar. Book appointments, schedule estimates and site visits, send appointment reminders, and more all from a single location. The integrated calendar gives you a bird’s eye view of your schedule, so you have more control and visibility over your time.

vcita also provides optimized client management. Store all your client and contact information in one place, set up automated email campaigns, and send professional invoices and estimates directly from the software. vcita’s client portal even allows your customers to book, pay and review documents online, 24/7. You can also accept one-time and recurring payments by credit card, and securely store client card information for future reference.

The all-in-one platform also delivers efficient project management, allowing you to assign tasks to different teams, sync deadlines and meetings with employees, and keep on top of deadlines. The intuitive interface makes it easy for every technician to see upcoming jobs. What’s more, you can use the platform to calculate budgets, track expenses, and log hours worked, and then generate easy-to-read reports that guide you to ways to improve your revenue.

How to get started with vcita construction CRM

It’s easy to get started with vcita’s construction CRM. Here’s a simple guide to help you hit the ground running.

  • Add your contacts

Import existing client and contact information, or add new contacts individually. Make sure to include details like name, email, phone, company, and any notes. With vcita, you can organize contacts into smart segments to email specific groups or target certain clients.

  • Set up your team

Invite employees and subcontractors to join your vcita account, so you can collaborate efficiently. Designate user permissions to control what each team member can access, for increased security.

  • Create and send email newsletters

Stay top of mind for existing clients and generate new business with regular email newsletters. vcita has customizable newsletter templates, making it easy to share company news, highlight a current project, promote a sale, and more. Track who opens and clicks through, to optimize your outreach.

  • Create an invoice and get paid

Create professional looking invoices in just a few clicks, and send them directly to your clients. Get paid online with vcita’s integrated payment solutions. Send automatic payment reminders and track invoice status to keep your cash flow moving.

Streamline construction business management

Using a purpose-built construction CRM solution can help take your business to the next level, giving you increased visibility and control, not to mention more revenue. With all your client, project and business data in one place, you’ll work more efficiently and provide an even better customer experience. And that means more referrals, repeat customers and business growth.